Electrical connector



March 1o, 1942. Q OLSQN 2,275,800

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 17, 1939 Potomac Mor. io, 1942 A 2,2%,800

narran STATES Parent ortica ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Einar E; Olson, Richmond, Ind., assigner to Belden Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation o! Illinois Application August 17, 1939, serial No. 290,553

z claims. (ci. 113-269) This invention relates to electrical connectors Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views taken on and particularly to mono-cord,l plug type conthe lines'I-l ands-8 of Figure4; nectors for use with plug-in jack stationary con- Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the featacts or the like. tures oia completed connector assemblage; and

Connectors of this type usually comprise a Figure 10is an enlarged fragmentary sectional cylindrical, metallic, terminal contact of suitview through the connector illustrated in Figable dimensions, an insulated lead wire, the conure 6. ductor of which is attached to the rear portion A Referring to the drawing, the lead wirewith of th'e contact, and a. suitable grip or sleeve, which my improved connector is used preferpreferably oi' insulating material, disposed about l0 ably, comprises a exible conductor cable II the rear portion of the contact and possibly about which is A surrounded with a cylindrical sheath the adiacent portion of the lead wire for enclos- I3 of molded rubber or like insulating material. ing the connection therebetween and for facili- A woven-covering` I5, preferably a braid, is distating the grasping of the connector during its posed on the outer surface of the insulating use. y 15 sheath I3 for the conductor cable, this lcover- In many applications of such connectors, they ing being applied t0 the sheath during the mauare constantly being subjected to bending and ufacture of the wire. tension stresses, and breakage of theleadwire As the rst Step in assemblingv the Connector. conductors has been a common and most troua resilient sleeve I1 of special design, which is blesome occurrence. To overcome this difficulty, preferably formed of vulcanized rubber or like a sleeve'or grip element has been molded mrplaee material, 'is slipped over the end of the lead wire on the conductor and contact in anenort to seby means of a suitable hollow tool (not shown) curely connect the conductor and contact by and is moved along the lead wire tc a position means independent of the normal electrical consuch as that illustrated in yFigure 2. The cennection between the conductor wire and contact. trulli? disposed passageway I3 Within the resil- This arrangement does not entirely solve the ient sleeve I'I is cylindrical in form and throughproblem, however, for the reason that if; is very out its length is of substantially the .same diamdicult to satisfactoruy mold such a sleeve ont@ eter as the lead wire. Intermediate the ends the leadwire Without subjecting the lead wire .ofthe sleeve I1, there is provided an annularconductor to considerable stress. Further, such recess 2l (scc Figures 1 and 10) which connects a molding bel-ation is relatively expensive and with, 'land which ineiect forms an, enlargement in view of the extremely large number of these l of' fentrl pal'lsagevay 3i Tihis annulartie cess 1s pre era y rec ang ar n cross sec ion gelicserhegngeo macture A and, as will hereinafter appear, is utilized as a positioning andlockng means for the sleeve Il The principal object of the present invention, in the assembl l ed connector. The recess 2| may thereto is to provide a' low cost connector of be conveniently formed during the molding vof the above described type which shall'include the sleeve. means for minimizing the stresses indud in The braided 'covering I5 is next removed from the lead wire conductor during the manufacture 40 the outer end of the lead Wire by burning or and use of the connector and which at the same other means'sol as to expose a short length of time Shall be less expensive t0 manufacture the sh'eath I3, and a. somewhat shorter section than the Prim' art devicesof the sheath I3 is then removed so as to bare A further Object of the invention is to provide o portion of the cable il, as mustroted in Figure a connector Which may be readily assembled by 2. Following this removal 'of the braid I5 from relatively unskilled labor without the use of comthe end of the lead wire, an'eyelet or ferrule 23 plicated tools or otherexpensive equipment. is slipped over the end of the exposedsheath A preferred embodiment of my invention is I3, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. I'his eyelet illustrated inpthe attached sheet of drawings, or ferrule 23 comprises a hollow, thin walled, Whel'ln- 50 cylindrical body portion 24 and a hanged head Figures 1 through 5 are perspective views illus- 25, and itis preferably formed of a ductile metal trating various sequential steps in the manufacsuch as copper. lAfter the eyelet or ferrule 23 ture of the improved connector of my invention; has been properly located on the exposed por Figure 6 is a sectional view -on the general tion of the insulating sheath I3, it is permanentline 6-6 of Figure 3; 55 `ly fastened to the lead wire by crimping the erably take the body portion 2l, This crimping of the body form of a plurality of opposed illustrated` at 21- in Figures 3 or by other suitable means.`

indentations as and 6.

l The terminal contact forming a part ofthe connector illustrated in the drawing comprises, asis illustrated particularly in Figures 3 and 1Q,

' a solid, generally cylindrical contact portion 23 which is formed integrally with a hollow, tubular, conductor-receiving portion 3l arranged c0- axially with the contact portion 23. The inner end 33 of the central passageway within thetubular, conductor-receiving portion 3l of the ierminal is of substantially the same diameter as the cable conductor ii of the lead wire.' The outer end 35 of this passageway is counterbored to receive the end portion of the lead wire to portion 24 may prefnectorv is much simpler in design than any of the comparable apparatus heretofore suggested in the art, and it is much easier to manufacture than those other structures. chiefly because of positioning-means .uti-- Various modifications of the invention inay be apparent to those skilled in the"art, and it is my desire that the accompanying claims shallbev construed as broadly as possible consistent with i the stateof the art.

which the eyelet or ferrule 23 has been at" tached, see Figures 3 and 10.

The next step in the assembling of the connector consists in placing the terminal' over the end of the lead wire.- The relative position of the .several parts at this stepin the manufacture of the device is illustrated in Figures 4 and 10. The dimensions of the central passageway within the tubular, conductor-receiving portion 3i of .the terminal are such that the flanged portion 25 of the eyelet or ferrule 23 will be seated snugly against the end of the terminal, the bared end of the conductor Il will extend into the inner end 33 oi the central passageway', and the portion of the sheath I3 between the ferrule 23 and the end of the lead wire will occupy the counterbore 3S. With the parts in this position, the tubular terminal portion 3i isV crimped adjacent the contact portion 29 so as to permanently attach the conductor cable Ii to the terminal. Particularly satisfactory results will be obtained if the crimping is performed by a device which will produce a plurality of opposed indentations as illustrated at 31 in Figures 4, 5, and 7. Also, if the crimping indentations 31 are turned with respect to each other as illustrated in the drawing, a somewhat improved electrical and mechanical connection will result.

AAt this point in the assembling operation, the connector is in the condition shown in Figure 4. To aid in holding the woven or braided covering l5 of the lead wire in place, the end portion of that covering is preferably unwound or otherwise removed from the sheath' i3 foi a short distance, and the resulting loose ends are smoothed over the outwardly projecting head portion 23 of the 'eyelet or ferrule 23, as illustrated in Figure 5. Next, the resilient sleeve i1 is slid from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. During this movement, the annular recess2i formed on the' inside of the sleeve i1 will engage the outwardly projecting head portion 25 of the ferrule 23 and thereby serve to mechanically interconnect the sleeve and the lead wire or cord in proper position. This arrangement greatly facilitates the assembling of the device, and at the same time I claim the following as my invention:

1. In an electrical connector, a lead wire comprising a flexible conductor having an insulating covering formed thereon, a terminal havin! a hollow, tubular portion for -receiving one end of said lead'wire. the inner end ofthe passageway within said hollow, tubular portion being of substantially the sam cross sectional area as said conductor and the outer end of the passageway within said hollow, tubular portion being counterbored to receive said conductor -with said insulating covering in place thereon, a bared end portion of said conductor extending into the inner end of the passageway within said hollow. tubular portion and being electrically and 'mechanically connected to said hollow, tubular portion by crimping, a ferrule which is disposed about the insulating covering of said lead wire adjacent said bared end and which vis permanently attached to said lead wire, said ferrule having a tubular body portion which extends into the outer fend of the passageway within'the hollow, tubular portion of said terminal and y having an outwardly projecting anged portion which is disposed outside of, but closelyv adjacent to, the hollow, tubular portion of said terminal. Y

2. In an electrical connector, a lead wire comprising a flexible conductor having an insulating covering formed thereon, a terminal having a contact portion and a hollow, tubular portion for receiving one end of said lead wire therein with said insulating covering in place thereon, means electrically and mechanically connecting the conductor o'f said lead wire into said terminal, a' ferrule having a tubular portion and a flange portion, said tubular portion of the ferrule fitting over the insulating covering of the lead wire and being attached thereto, portion of the ferrule tubular portion ofthe terminal and said flange portion of the ferrule -being disposed adjacent to the outer end ofsaid hollow,

resilient support sleeve snugand said tup ly disposed about at least a part of the length of provides a very satisfactory fastening and positioning means for the sleeve il and a retaining means for the loose ends of the braid Ii.

In the foregoing oi electrical connector which is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with plug-in sta- MY improved con- `tionary contacts or the like.

I have disclosed a novel form the tubular portion of said terminal and about the adjacent end of said being provided with an internally lead wire, said sleeve connection between said lead wire and said terminal EINAR R. OLSON.

ular` fitting within the hollow,

tubular portion of l 'disposed an- 1 nular recess for engaging the flange portion of and said lead Y 

